


Turf War

by Hatshepsut147



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Cute, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Meet-Cute, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-06-27 18:43:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15691176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hatshepsut147/pseuds/Hatshepsut147
Summary: "It started one year ago. 6 months before we even left this godforsaken island." Carlos spoke in a hush, Lonnie listening to his words. "He's changed, he wasn't always this evil. Back when we were just Villain kids like them, a sort of.. love story began..""Sadly, it was between two hearts on opposite sides of a Turf War."~~~~~~~In which Carlos De Vil, finds himself torn between his friends and a boy with a fake hook





	1. Banished, Exiled and Practically Starving! // Ursula

 

 

_"Banished, and Exiled, and Practically Starving!" –_ **_Ursula_ ** _,_ **_The Little Mermaid, circa 1989_ ** _._

 

_~~~~_

 

 

 

I _live for furs! I worship furs!'_

 

 

 

His mother had once said. A direct quote from Cruella De Vil, the evil puppy-killer. Carlos could care less about that. He was scared of dogs, but he hadn't met one. Ever. He believed that dogs were vicious, rabid pack animals who ate little boys that didn't behave, as imposed on him by Cruella De Vil.

  
Turns out the good kings and queens of Auradon thought dogs were too _pure_ to be sent to The Isle Of The Lost. Carlos scoffed at the thought. Dogs were apparently better than all these humans stuck here, on this island, just because they happened to be born from the blood of villains.

The Isle was fetid, squalid, myriad populated, too small for its residents. Every corner of the Isle was oozing with criminal activity. Robbery, murder, drug abuse, disease, humiliation, unjust taxation, extortion, home invasions, turf wars, all were commonplace to the citizens that slacked on everyday, working to get a small sum of money, only to have it robbed the next second.

That's just how things were in The Isle, and that's how you had to live to survive there. Fortunately, for Carlos, he didn't have to worry about it as much as others. He had a reputation that came with being the son of Cruella De Vil, but more so with being a part of Maleficent's daughter's group of friends.

Carlos jumped off the ledge, landing on his knees, in the alleyway. He made his way down the dark, dirty path, harshly shoving anyone that walked by. As much as he thought it unnecessary, that's just what he had to do, so people would fear him a little.

He reached the bottom of the grey building, making his way up the rusty iron stairs. As much as people feared this sixteen year old boy, when he was with his group, he was the meekest. Quiet, shy, cute Carlos. He sighed, banging loudly on the metal door, decorated with Mal's signature artwork. Her mother and the words, ' _Long Live Evil_ '

The door was opened, and Carlos stepped in, not caring to look at whoever opened it. He went straight to the table at the centre of the room, dropping into a chair next to Evie.

"Someone's in a bad mood today.." Carlos heard behind him. Mal. She was the daughter of Maleficent, Mistress of All Evil, and even though there was no written hierarchy for the Isle, everyone knew Maleficent was the Ruler. No one would mess with Mal, no matter how powerful they may be. They all feared her : Maleficent.

When Carlos didn't reply, Mal struck his head, making him turn to look at her. "Answer me when I talk to you," She said, through the gritted teeth.

"You didn't ask a question." Carlos replied, in the same manner. They stared at each other for a while, Mal eyeing Carlos wickedly. Evie noticed the tension, and butted into the conversation.

"Its the Isle, Mal. Everyone is in a bad mood at all times." Evie reminded them, looking protectively at Carlos. Carlos was the youngest after all, and he was best friends with Evie. They were like siblings. Evie always wanted a younger brother and she found it in Carlos, when the boy, only ten, found his way into the Core Four. He apparently had the balls to rob something, a bag of silver coins, off of Jay. That's what had gotten him into the Core Four, aside from being Cruella De Vil's son. Evie thought their relationship had more magic than ever existed on Auradon.

Mal stared at Carlos for a little more time, and then went on to whatever she was doing before opening the door. Evie glanced at Carlos, knowing full well that something was on the boy's mind, and that she would get it out of him.

She leaned closer, and spoke in a whisper so Mal wouldn't hear, "What happened, Carlos?" She asked, concern laced in her tone. Everytime Carlos looked at Evie it gave him a sense of belonging, relation, and made him glad that he stumbled upon The Core Four.

"Its nothing new." Carlos replied, dryly, not wanting the matter to escalate like it always did. He knew Evie, being older, could offer him advice but he surely didn't need it, everyday.

"Are you thinking about the Isle again?" She asked, placing her hand sympathetically on Carlos' knee. Carlos let out a sigh and his guard melted. He nodded ever so slightly but Evie caught it. She always did, "Carlos, you don't need to think about it too much. The reality is that it's not going to change, there's almost nothing we can do about it. This is how we have to live, and honestly speaking... The sooner you get this through your head the better."

Carlos smiled lightly. He always knew Evie wouldn't give him a false sense of hope, she'd always counsel him the right way. Carlos looked up at Evie, "But, E, isn't it ironic? Those Auradon Kings and Queens think they're so just and nice, but they treat us like utter crap, garbage. We have to use fabric they throw away to make our clothes, we have to harbour all the criminals they don't want living in their pure, beautiful Auradon. Its so sick." He expresses.

It always bothered Carlos. Didn't Cinderella's mother tell her to be just and kind to everyone? But does she help the thousands of diseased people from the Isle? Wasn't Belle supposed to be a kind-hearted girl who saw the good in everyone, even a hideous Beast? Why isn't she trying to see the good in all the children of the Isle, who didn't ask for this life? They didn't deserve this life, but they're stuck here?

Carlos' mind swarmed with these questions every second, and Evie caught the look on his face. She sighed, and wrapped her arms around him, trying to comfort the boy. Nothing would ever change on this Isle. They knew it very well, and so all they had for comfort and joy, were themselves.

"Oh GOD! Where is Jay, it's almost time for that stupid announcement thing!" Mal exclaimed, switching on the small TV, perched on top of a shelf. She picked a bottle from the battered fridge, flicking it open.

"It's ten a.m. Mal." Evie says, eyeing the half empty bottle of booze that was held in Mal's hand. Mal only rolled her eyes at Evie, and returned her gaze to the small, blurry T.V. screen. The logo of the Auradon News Network was running on the screen, and Carlos couldn't care any less, fidgeting with his hair, instead of looking for the announcement.

From time to time Auradon would make announcements, but they were never things that actually mattered for the Isle. Usually it was a new member of the Royal Council, or a new royal heir, or even a new addition to the Auradon Preparatory School. Never was it about extending aid to the Isle, fighting disease in the isle, or just, in general making their lives a little bit better.

The reporter dressed in a peach blazer was making his speech on the news channel, as Mal watched intently. Carlos lifted his sight, to finally look at what was going on, a few miles away, in Auradon. There was a sudden banging, and Jay burst through the door.

Carlos jumped and let out a tiny yip. Jay made his way to the table, taking a seat right next to his pal. "Did I miss it?" Asked Jay, the son of Jafar. Carlos shook his head and went back to watching the reporter talk about the King and Queen of the United States of Auradon.

_"_ _._ _..King_ _Adam and Queen Belle, along with the members of The Royal Council, called this special meeting today, for an alleged announcement. We have no information on what it surely is about, but our sources_ _claim_ _it has something to do with Prince Ben...._ " The reporter continued, with scenes from previous announcements flashing on the screen.

"Ohhhh, Prince Ben. He's hot." Evie remarks, side eyeing Mal. Mal slowly separated her lips and the bottle of booze, sending a glare to Evie. Carlos scoffed.

Mal and Evie had history. Best friends since childhood, people would sometimes mistake them for a couple, and so it happened. Carlos had never heard the details, but he knew the gist of the story. Two girls, in love, separated by their homophobic parents, now just friends, all their love forgotten, left in the past. Carlos knew Evie was just trying to get to Mal by calling Prince Ben hot. He knew Evie was a huge lesbian, this 'straightness' that they all seemed to have adopted was to just appease their parents. A way to keep themselves safe, from their own blood's rage.

"Isn't he hot, Carlos?" Evie asked nonchalantly, making Mal groan and walk over to the tiny hole in the wall, they called a window.

"I don't care." Carlos replied, trying to seem as uninterested as he could, but he agreed. Carlos was thirteen, pressed against the iron wall of a shed, making out with Lady Tremaine's incredibly handsome grandson Troy, when he truly realised he was gay. That relationship lasted for a very short while, but it was a turning point in Carlos' life, none the less. Why he's hid it from the Core Four, all these years is something that even he doesn't understand completely. It could be the trust issues he's had, or the general air of the Isle that makes him feel this way, but that's just how it goes.

"Shh... The announcement is starting." Mal shushed, back at her chair, her feet up on the table. All eyes on the room were now glued to the screen. As much as they said they didn't care, the kids always hoped, that their lives were just a tad less _miserable_?, their streets just a little less _dirty_? Their food a little less _rotten?_

".... _States of Auradon have always been accepting of change, and we stick together for the biggest challenges. The Royal Council and I, King Adam, have decided that it is time for me to make way for a younger king, someone with an innovative mind, a younger power who can change Auradon for the better. With this I inform you that, Prince Benjamin, my son, will be crowned king in six months!!"_ King Adam declared, through the blurred, grainy picture.

There was silence. Nothing for a few seconds except the noise of the paparazzi pouncing on the royal family with questions. A new king meant a new authority, and a new, younger authority, could very well bring a change in the government. Changes in Auradon, and perhaps, changes in the Isle?

"That's _stupid_. _The king is stupid_ ," Mal exclaimed, "handing the administration to a seventeen year old, like he's mature enough to run a kingdom!"

"God, you're in a bad mood today." Jay said the obvious, earning a glare from Mal.

"I'm always in a bad mood," said Mal, looking out of the window, at complete darkness, even though it was morning time.

"You seem to be in a _worse_ mood than everyday." Jay continued to argue.

"I'm not."

"You are. You're drinking at ten in the morning, you're literally holding the bottle so tight, your knuckles are turning white!" Evie exclaimed. Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen, knew Mal through and through. Mal sighed, laying her head loudly onto the table. Evie scooted closer to Mal and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Carlos and Jay also moved their chairs, closer to their friend.

"We're here." Carlos said, sending a reassuring smile to Mal. She let out a small groan. "What's up?"

Mal picked her head off the table, taking a swig of the liquid from the bottle in her hand. She kept it down on the table, pushing it away. "My mom, she kicked me out."

Carlos heard Evie gasp, her grip becoming tighter on Mal. Jay extended his hand out, taking Mal's in his, squeezing sympathetically. "We were fighting like always, and I just... I snapped. I went too far. I called her useless, lazy, a terrible mother, and she told me to leave then. See if I can survive the Isle on my own, when I'm no longer under her care, under her protection, when I'm just 'Mal', not 'Mal, daughter of Maleficent'. I tried to apologize, E, I really did," Mal said, leaning into Evie, tears threatening to escape her eyes, "But she would have none of it... She kicked me out!" Mal broke into a sob.

If someone were to look into the window of this particular room, they'd see four children, all in each others arms. Four children that found comfort, not in their parents, not in their houses, not in their possessions, but in each other, and that certainly was more magical, than all the magic in Auradon.

 

~~~~

 

"Are you sure you don't want to come back with me?" Evie asked, biting her lip, "You could stay in my room?"

Mal gave Evie a small smile, shaking her head slightly, "I think we both know why that's a bad idea."

"Well then where will you stay?" Evie asked, "I mean, none of the other boys have rooms you could share."

"Hey!" Carlos burst out, "I have a room!" He said, in a slightly annoyed tone of voice.

Evie rolled her eyes, "Carlos, your mother's dressing room, doesn't count as a room?"

Carlos scoffed, walked away to the window, annoyed at this whole situation that stood in front of them. It annoyed him that his mother never gave him a room of his own. She made him sleep in her dressing room, behind her fur coat closet, filled with bear traps. Every morning he woke up, he had to hope he didn't accidentally die, on his way to freshen up. However, Jay had it worse.

His father didn't even give him a dressing room. Jay just slept at his father's store, in a space under the staircase, below a shelf holding a heavy TV set. At any moment Jay could be crushed to death, but so far he hasn't. They're all just trying to survive.

"I'll stay here for a few days I guess." Mal said, walking around their special place, the Core Four's Den. It was kind of spacious, a round iron table sat in the center of the room with six chairs surrounding it, all different. Behind the table was a mismatched couch, facing the TV set that was still airing the Auradon News Network. There were cabinets for them to store things they stole or — sometimes if they were in a good mood — purchased. There were four different desks, and murals of them on the wall, thanks to Mal and her artistic mind. Each of them had their separate corner, and they decorated it how they liked. At the opposite end of the room was the refrigerator that they stocked with a few good things they could find. "This is my home now, I guess."

"But you can't stay the night here alone." Carlos suggested, arms crossed across his chest, "It's not safe."

"I'll stay with her. My father doesn't even care if I sleep in my hole or out on the street." Jay chortled. He smiled at Mal, and then at the other two. They were in this together, nothing was going to break them, but they didn't realise it yet. They were good, they didn't belong on the Isle, but they lived here, so wouldn't hurt to be Rotten at times. Suddenly, the door flew open.

Harry and Jace stumbled in, frenzied. Jace scanned the room for Carlos and stepped towards him, "Carlos, we have some news!"

Carlos narrowed his eyes at the pair, and then shot a quick glance to the other three. Horace and Jasper's sons, Harry and Jace, were now here, in their fathers' footsteps, 'serving' Carlos De Vil. They were his 'friends', because Cruella De Vil threatened them to be, and so he used that to his advantage, making them work for him. "What is it?"

"We were at the market and we overheard two of Uma's pirate crew talking." Jace, the taller boy, started off with the information. He was panting, trying to catch his breath as he gave the news.

"I think it was Gonzo and Desiree." Harry interrupted, his short body moving visibly with his breath.

"No it was Desiree and Bonny-"

"No, it was Gonzo–"

"Doesn't matter who it was!" Mal shouts, shutting up the quarreling boys. She stepped up between the pair, looking Jace in the eyes, her own malignant green, "What did you hear?"

Harry replied, cowering to try and get away from her, "They were talking about how, now that Uma has the Lost Revenge crew, her old first mate has come back."

Jay stepped forward, placing his hand on Carlos' shoulder, eyebrows knit in confusion, "Her _old_ first mate? Who is that?"

Carlos looked at their faces, perplexed, and then turned to Jay, "What is a first mate?" He asked, not big on pirate vocabulary. His question, however, was ignored with an audible 'ugh' from Jay.

"Shrimpy's old first mate, huh." Mal trailed off, walking around the room, trying to recollect his name, "So Harry Hook is back."

Carlos' eyebrows shot up. Carlos remembered Harry from when he was a child. They attended Serpent High together until Carlos was nine. When he turned ten however, his mother pulled him out of school, and had him do all her chores at home. Around the same time, Captain James Hook, took his son away on his boat, teaching him how to sail. Even though they couldn't leave the boundaries of the United States of Auradon, they set out. After that, seven years later, Carlos heard Harry Hook's name again. Harry Hook always interested Carlos, because unlike all the other Lost kids, he admired his father, talked highly of him. At one point, Carlos was envious of him, but he didn't think of it much. You never know what goes on behind closed doors.

"We also heard that Uma is planning something big to try and take you guys down, now that she has a crew and Hook's son." Harry added, looking at Mal cautiously while slowly inching away from her.

"Is she now?" Mal said, intrigued, a smirk crossing her face. "She thinks she can take us down just because she has her first mate?"

Evie scoffed, her hands at her hips. Evie didn't like Uma, ever since they were twelve. They didn't have anything against each other, not at all. The only thing holding them apart was their crush on Mal. Uma and Mal had a thing going where they would flirt shamelessly, but, Mal always held Evie higher in regards. In the end Evie won, but it didn't matter. They didn't get to be together. "How ridiculous is that?"

"All Shrimpy has ever done is work at her ugly mother's Fish and Chips Shop," Mal said. She wrapped her arms around Jace's shoulders, prying  for more information, "What is she possibly going to do?"

"We heard that they started planning something," Harry said, looking up at Jace, and then at the Core Four, "but they never talked about what the plan was."

"Well.." Mal smiled, stopping on her way to the door, "Let's give them a friendly visit shall we?"

 


	2. Looks like you're all out of ideas? // Shan Yu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos has a fateful encounter, while returning home from the docks.

_"Looks like you're all out of ideas?" –_ **_Shan Yu_ ** **_, Mulan, circa 1998._ **

~~~~

 

Ursula's Fish and Chips was never in a booming economic state. No business on the Isle ever was. The Fish was rotten, the Chips were stale at best, but people still came there, in small numbers, but they did come. Ursula didn't actually do anything, all the work was done by her daughter Uma, and her recently acquired Pirate Crew.

A hotspot for pirates, Ursula's Fish and Chips was at the north west coast. One look at the menu however, would make a normal person retch into the food plate. There was everything from Fluke Filet to Sea Spider; Spleen to Shell Smell; and from Pickled Lamprey to Pond Scum; truly delicious.

The quartet walked into the tiny shop, earning a few looks, but walking with their heads high. Mal led the group, as they found their way to Uma. Uma worked at her mother's shop as a waitress, while her mother sat at home watching soap operas all day long. She frowned, serving a pirate, what looked like a brown blob on a plate, with scattered, stale broccoli for garnish. She seemed to be quarreling with the customer.

"The menu said that there were two pieces of fish, I see only one, it's not fair!" The pirate complained, spitting a little with every word he said.

Uma groaned, and banged on the table, causing some drink to spill, "Life ain't fair! Eat if you want to or leave!" She threatened.

Mal took this as her cue, stepping closer to Uma, "Now, now, is that how you treat customers, Shrimpy?"

Uma looked up from her customer, and gasped slightly. Trying to cover it up, she plastered a grin on her face, and looked back at Mal, "Mal, what a surprise?" She said, looking at Mal's three friends behind her and rolling her eyes. Her hands reached behind her back, "And you brought your minions, how lovely. Well if you know how to treat customers so well, why don't you give it a shot?" She took her ragged apron off her body, and threw it in Mal's direction.

Mal grabbed the cloth before it could hit her face. "They're not minions certainly, they're my friends, Unlike your sad pirate crew." Mal threw the cloth onto the ground beside her. She looked around the dinner, "Do _all_ these ' _pirates_ ' work here, as waiters?" She moved closer, inches away from Uma's face.

"That's sooo unfortunate." Said Evie, narrowing her eyes at Uma.  Both the blue haired girls glared at each other, before Uma crossed her hands over her chest.

"What are you here for? You're not even allowed in here." Uma said, her gaze wavering between Mal and Jay.

"Oh please, we're not here to steal your pathetic mother's ugly necklace again." Jay replied, stepping forward, so he was in position to engage, if there was combat.

"Well you better not be, because she hasn't forgotten it yet." Ursula really hadn't. Jay and Mal had once stolen her Sea shell necklace from her when she was in the shop. Believe it or not, when Mal and her used to be best friends.

"It still smells a little Shrimpy in here, don't you think?" Carlos added, even though he didn't want to. Mal chuckled watching the look on Uma's face.

"What do you want?" Uma said through the gritted teeth. She couldn't handle this anymore, and it was starting to get on her last nerve.

"Well we heard some chatter on the street, saying you wanted to take us down?" Mal said, circling the aqua haired girl with a pirate hat on. "That you were planning something against us?"

Uma's expression remained unchanged, as she watch Mal move around her. "So what if I am?"

"Well.. don't try. You're just gonna end up hurting yourself again, Shrimpy." Mal said, with an evil look on her face. "I've been hearing alot about your new first mate too?" Mal said, looking around the shop again, before focusing again on Uma, wicked smile on her face, "Where is your first mate, Shrimpy?"

Uma looked back at Mal vengefully. After a few moments she smiled, and moved her gaze to Carlos. Carlos never broke eye contact, he wasn't going to shy away. He did however, when he felt a heavy hand wrap around his shoulders. He looked to his left, at the object held in the person's hand, a hook. That's when Carlos turned and saw Harry Hook, after all those years.

Hook chuckled, as the cold metal tip of his hook slowly traced patterns into Carlos' face. Carlos took a deep breath, eyes turning to Jay, asking for help. The Four were stunned for a few seconds, not scared, just stunned. Carlos, however was growing afraid with every passing second.

Jay and Evie started at Carlos, but Harry held up his non hooked hand at them to stop, "I won't hurt him, if nobody moves." He said in his thick accent, which Carlos placed to be scottish. Carlos had been able to pry through the magic barrier for this thing called Wi-Fi, and that had opened the whole world outside of the States of Auradon to him. He could feel, Harry Hook's breathe on his right ear, trying to keep his heart rate steady and not escalating out of fear... or anything else. Carlos looked up at the taller boy, as the hook roamed his face threateningly. 

He started, "Lovely, Meeting all of you again," He glared at the group, "Mal, Jay, Evie and, Carlos." Harry eyed the small boy in his grip, taking in his white tipped hair, running his hook at his neck.

"These are the people that bother you, Uma?" Harry said, almost as if he was talking about a bunch of puppies being harmful, "They're wee little people." Harry said, picking his hand off Carlos and shoving harshly, before slowly walking to Uma. Evie took this chance, to grab Carlos and pull him closer to her.

"You could've gotten some better villain kids, now couldn't you Uma?" He said, stepping up to Jay, staring at his face, never letting his wicked smirk falter.

Mal stepped in between Jay and Harry, before they could start having a brawl in the middle of the shop. "You're not getting a bigger villain than Maleficent's daughter, Harry."

Harry scoffed at Mal, circling her like she had done to Uma, "Oh, but I've heard..." Harry said, taking a lock of Mal's violet hair in the curve of his hook, "The Mistress kicked you out. You're not under her wing anymore."

Mal's eyebrows shot up, and so did the other kids'. A gasp accidentally slipped Carlos' mouth, attracting Harry Hook's attention. Harry held eye contact with Carlos, smirking, while Mal asked, "How do you know that?"

Hook turned to look at Mal, faking a pout, "Aww, Why? Didn't want people to know that you're nothing without Maleficent watching your back?" He walked around the kids, continuing his little speech, "Or that you're weak inside even with all these muscles?" He said to Jay, before walking to Evie, "Or that you're not the only person that can make people move at your command?"

Then he stood in front of Carlos. That's when Carlos _really_ noticed Harry for the first time. He was wearing his father's signature scarlet coloured clothes, and the hook on his left hand wasn't really attached to his hand, he was just holding it. His brunett hair peaked through his black pirate hat, and his light green eyes stared into Carlos' soul. "Or that you're just a little boy that is scared of the demons around him?"

Carlos miraculously held his ground, he was not letting this maniacal, tall, handsome boy win this round. He looked right back at him, with the same eyes he'd learnt to show people, to frighten them. It surely wouldn't work, but Carlos gave it a shot anyway. He squared his shoulders, and crossed his arms, rising to his full height which, compared to Hook, wasn't much.

Harry was amused by this, he looked the boy up and down, the same evil smile spreading over his face. Harry turned away in the most suave manner Carlos had ever seen and stood beside Uma.

"There's my first mate." Uma said, smile spreading on her lips, as she looked straight at Mal. "Now, I hope you start seeing us as a threat because if you don't.."

She stepped up to Mal, "Well then, best of luck to you."

Mal took in a deep breath, and charged at Uma, but was held back by Jay. Usually it would be Jay that was the first one to start a fight, but today was different. Mal was so vulnerable at this point, that they all just wanted to get out of there. "Threatening me will get you nowhere!" Mal exclaimed.

"Well, it seems to be doing just fine. Now get out of here." Uma said, as Jay pulled Mal out of the door. Evie and Carlos lingered in the shop for a while longer, glaring at The Captain and her First Mate. Carlos had known Harry Hook, for five whole minutes, but he knew he hated him. That being said, Carlos couldn't help looking him over one last time, before leaving, because he may be an enemy, but boy, is he hot.

~~~~

Carlos wasn't a very big fan of water. It made him sort of nervous, knowing that if he'd fall in, he'd most probably die. He never learnt how to swim, he couldn't run very fast, and he had very little physical strength. So if it ever came down to his survival he knew he'd have to use his mind, but that he couldn't do if he was ten feet under water. That's why Carlos sat as far as he could from the edge of the southwestern coast. It was a fifteen foot drop, straight into the sea. 

 

Jay, however, swung his legs about the edge of the platform of the guardrail him and Evie were sat on, sharing a half empty juice box they found lying around. Mal was walking around in circles, trying to calm her mind after what had happened with Uma, as Carlos eyed her cautiously. He knew she could burst at any second and start ordering them around but until she did, all they did was sit and sulk around. 

  
There wasn't much to do on the Isle, so they resorted to being generally untolerable and terrible people. What else could a bunch of villain kids do? The quartet however, loved going to the dump yards, even though it's foul smelling. The Auradon residents had the bright idea of segregating the waste that they dumped on the Isle, so the kids would look for discarded books, phones, games, or anything that could help them deal with the Isle. That's where Carlos found his equipment to make his machine that can concentrate the various satellite waves, and create a network through which he can learn things about Auradon and the outside world. Ofcourse, he never told any of the other villain kids this either. 

Carlos wanted something that was just his, something he didn't have to share. The boy was curious, loved gaining new knowledge and that's what the device he had created facilitated for him, that's what learning science facilitated for him. So he didn't tell anyone, not even his three dear friends. At that very moment, Carlos held, what appeared to be the processor of a laptop, between his fingers,  creating new ideas in his head. Mal audibly groaned, holding Carlos' attention for a second, before he went back to his new _piece_ of a toy. Mal sat next to Carlos with a thud and another groan, now having the attention of all the other children. 

"Are you guys just going to pretend that nothing happened?" Mal questioned. 

"What are we gonna do Mal, we don't even know what they're planning." Evie reasoned, shaking the now empty juice box. She discovered that it had been milked to its last drop and she dropped it down into the sea.

"Well, they are planning _something_ , Evie," Mal said, "And it's not like I'm the only one they're going to hit. I go down, you all go down."

"Mal," Carlos started, "We're a team remember? and you're so fierce!" He said, placing the processor aside, and joining the conversation fully, "As soon as we figure out what their plan is, only then can we counterattack."

Mal scoffed, "I know that!" She got off the ground, walking over to the guardrail, crossing her arms over her chest, "I just have a very bad feeling about this."

"If you want, we could very well send out Harry and Jace to find some dirt on the pirate's plan?" Jay suggested, looking over at Carlos for confirmation. 

"Yeah, we could do that," Carlos agreed, "I'll tell Harry and Jace to set out when I get home if you want."

Mal took a deep breathe, the sea salt hitting her face with the soft wind. Carlos admired her at times, because she inspired him. Sometimes. Other times, he wondered whether she even cared about Jay and Carlos, or if she was just using them to have some reputation. "That would be a good place to start." 

Mal turned to Jay, "You should go and check with your father's customers, and those shop owners you know, see if the pirates have stolen anything important recently, like swords, lots of ropes, anything." Jay nodded, hesitantly. 

Mal looked over at Carlos, and Carlos nodded knowing that he needed to send out Harry and Jace in the night, to scour the scenes of the Pirate game. Mal's gaze then landed on Evie, "What can you do, E?"

Evie smiled, "I can use my charm to get information out of people." 

Mal let a smug look cross her face, "I know that very well." She said, flirtatiously, as Jay and Carlos looked at each other, happy that they were alike in how awkward this was for them both. Mal continued, "You should go with Jay, it's not too dark out now, the sun is still setting."

Jay stood up off the guardrail, holding his hand out for Evie, "Princess?"

Evie chuckled, knowing this game that Jay liked to play with her, since both their parents were some form of royalty at one point. She took his hand, as one of the Auradon princesses would, "Thank you, nobleman." 

Mal wrinkled her nose at their little game, as they began to walk off on their mission. "Hey," She called out to them, her concerned look moving from Evie to Jay, "Get home safe." Even though, it looked like she was saying it to Jay, she was actually giving him an instruction. Jay needed to get Evie home safe. 

"Bye, Evie! Bye, Jay!" Carlos called out, eyes not lifting from the processor, which was back in his hands. 

"Bye Carlos!" They called out in unison to the 16 year old boy, determined to find some sort of information on their mission. Carlos felt Mal standing over him and looked up to meet the girl's eyes. 

"Do you need me to drop you home?" She asked with the same underlying concern that she had shown to Evie. Carlos sighed, dropping the processor by his side, and standing up to Mal, a few inches taller than her.

"Mal, I can take care of myself." He said, "You guys don't need to worry about me twenty four–seven."

Mal took in a sharp breathe and started, "Carlos, it's not that we don't think you can take care of yourself. We just want to make sure you're safe. The Isle is a terrible place," Mal smiled, placing her hand on his shoulder, "We've got to have each other's backs."

Carlos gave her a small smile, "Thanks, Mal, but I'll stay here awhile."

"Okay then promise me, you'll leave before sundown," She said, pointing a finger at him, in a non-scary threatening way.

Carlos grinned, "I promise." He said.

 

~~~~

 

He should've kept his promise. Carlos should've left before sundown, because now he was walking along dark alleyways, hoping that nothing bad happened to him when he was alone. Carlos should've left for home when Mal did, instead he stayed back and bothered his mind with a million thoughts. He had sat there wondering if he'd ever get out of this hell hole? Or if he'd ever be able to be free and true to himself? Or would he ever have a happy life, or even atleast a room he could call his own? 

 

He also wondered about Uma's plan. What could she be planning? Why would she need a pirate crew for it? Or, how she scored Harry Hook as her first mate? Were they perhaps dating? Carlos had chuckled at that thought. He couldn't imagine someone dating Harry Hook, mainly because the guy was a total psychopath. But then again, who was Carlos to judge. 

 

Carlos was quick on his feet, passing along the route to his house, that he knew like the back of his hand. He quickened his pace the closer he got to his house, looking down at his feet. He pulled his black and red leather jacket tighter around his body as he took the next right turn. 

 

Carlos didn't notice the person in his way until he crashed straight into them. He stumbled backwards but caught himself before he could fall. Before Carlos could straighten his posture he heard a chuckle. He had heard this voice only this morning, but the person it came from sent a shiver down his spine. Carlos' eyes caught with Harry Hook's as he rose to his full height again. 

 

Harry looked him over once more, before grinning. His smile was mischievous and that alone made Carlos want to get away as fast as possible, "What do you want, Harry?" He asked, hoping the taller boy could hear that he was trying to be confident. 

 

"Lovely to see you too, Carlos De Vil." He said, stepping closer to the shorter boy, eyes looking over his oddly coloured hair. Harry raised his hook to Carlos' head, as Carlos flinched, "Does that grow like that, or is it a fashion choice?" He asks, in the most nonchalant way possible. 

 

Carlos looks up at him, stepping away from the boy, "It's none of your business, and I'm gonna leave now." He said, swerving the scarlet clad pirate and getting back on course to his house. Carlos could feel his muscles loosening up the closer he got to the next turn. 

 

"Tragic, really," He heard Harry say behind him, but he promised himself he won't look back, "I was here to warn you about something.." Carlos stopped. Should he stop or should he go? Why would Harry come to warn him about anything? But any kind of Information may be a start? Carlos took in a deep breath and turned around.

 

"Wow, you wait for the warning but not for a small chat with me," Harry said, pouting, "That's mean, pup." 

 

Carlos scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Don't call me pup." 

 

Harry's eyes lit up as he realised Carlos hates the nickname, the smile returned to his face and he started, "Oh but it's perfect!" He said moving closer, in his brown heeled boots, "The son of Cruella De Vil, the old puppy killer, and you're a puppy yourself." Harry remarked, amused, looking Carlos over as if he were a tiny dog. 

 

Carlos' expression turned sour, "Listen, let's get this over with," Carlos started, tilting his head, "What were you saying?" 

 

Harry's grin never leaves his face, "I was calling you pup." He says with he most smug look ever, clearly enjoying this altercation. 

 

Carlos took in a deep breath, mad at the other boy. How can one be _so annoying_ was beyond Carlos. He smiled sarcastically, "No, the warning, you asshole!" 

 

Harry winced, "Ohh, that's a pretty big bad word for a small boy like you." 

 

Carlos raised a hand, shrugging, confused, "We're the same age." He pointed out matter of factly.

 

"I'm a year older." Hook stated, moving closer yet again. 

 

Carlos was losing his patience now. He knew if it came to a duel, a brawl, he certainly won't win. That's why he had to have his way with words instead, but so far Harry seemed to be better at derailing the conversation from the point. 

 

"Tell me the warning." Carlos said through gritted teeth, stepping up to Harry even though he had to get on his tip toes. This, however, was a bad idea, as Hook found this incredibly humourous. 

 

Harry's expression turned to that of fake fear, "Oh, pup, I'm so scared of you right now." He held up his gloved hand for Carlos to see, looking him dead in the eye, with his hand as stable as a surgeon's, "I'm shaking with fear." 

 

Carlos took in another breathe, and he could smell the sea salt on Harry's clothes as he stared him right in the eye, not backing down, "The Warning." He said again, voice as flat as he could get it to be. 

 

Harry was taken aback for a second, not expecting such a secure, confident Carlos. Nevertheless, his signature smirk returned, "Well then, all I'm told to tell you is.." 

 

Harry leaned dangerously close to Carlos' face, as a chill ran down his spine, "You guys haven't been taking care of your turfs very well." He then pulls back, stepping away. 

 

Carlos stands there shook to his core, as he begins to understand their play. Their group hadn't been paying much attention to their turfs recently, sending Harry and Jace to gather the money from the businesses instead of going there themselves. Extortion was a huge part of their stock of money in the Isle and a hit to their turfs, would seriously damage their treasury, added to the fact that they weren't protected by Maleficent anymore. Carlos was now understanding their play, as he stepped backwards, eyes widened, staring at Harry Hook's smug visage. 

 

"Which sector are you hitting?" He asked, boldly stepping a little closer to Hook. 

 

Hook smiled, amused at the smaller boy, "Can't tell you pup." He said, putting his non hooked arm around Carlos' shoulder. Carlos tensed up under Hook's touch, having horrifying flashbacks to that very morning. Harry shoved Carlos forward, and they began walking towards Carlos' house, "Uma told me not to give much away."

 

Carlos didn't say anything but his mind was looking for the countless ways it could go from now, and all of them seemed to involved a full fledged Turf War. With the condition his friends were in now, a war with someone with so much manpower as Uma, would be a losing game. They would have to play it, nonetheless. Carlos was brought back to reality when the weight was lifted off his shoulders. He turned to Hook, still confused. 

 

"Well, I've got places to be, pup." Hook said, strutting down the way opposite to that which went to Carlos' house. He waved his gloved hand in Carlos' direction, with the same smirk that was now burned into Carlos' mind, "It was lovely talking to you." 

 

And then Harry Hook disappeared in the shadows, but in Carlos' mind, he'd just stepped right into the spotlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello friends here another chapter. Harry Hook is here I have began the establishment. This is gonna be a long fic so hold your horses.


	3. Oh Dear! What an awkward situation // Maleficent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos has an unexpected visitor, who won't leave without getting what he wants. The Core Four get into an interesting fistfight

 

_"Oh Dear! What an awkward situation." -_ **_ Maleficent _ ** **_, Sleeping Beauty, circa 1959_ **

 

**_~~~~_ **

 

Getting a good night's sleep was a rare occurrence for Carlos. His mattress was, as it is, lumpy and uncomfortable. It hurt his back the whole night but, what really worried him were his thoughts. His thoughts were almost murderous, like a force much more evil than any villain alive. It ate him out and he jumped at the slightest of sounds in the night. That night, however, he hadn't slept well because his mind was consumed by Uma's plan.

She'd take the turfs, the money that comes from it, but that's not what mattered. It was the power she'd have, even if she held it briefly, before Maleficent and Mal made up and Maleficent used her influence again. Uma in power would be a complete disaster for Carlos and his friends.

Uma hated them all, and they hadn't been very nice to her so it was understandable. With her new power, she could bully them, boss them around, and they'd have to do it, but Carlos was sure that Maleficent wouldn't let that happen. However, at the very least, she would gain a reputation, and that reputation would bring her higher up on the predatory chain of the Isle.

Carlos noticed the first rays of sunshine peaking in through the small attic window of the coat closet. He sighed, turning his back to the window, facing the darkness of the fur-filled coat closet. There was a tiny glimmer of light on the bear traps that were laid out on the floor. Carlos sighed, closing his eyes, and trying to get some sleep, but only images of him and his friends' possible future showed up in front of his eyes. Carlos would go over and tell Evie, Jay and Mal about his meeting with Harry Hook a few hours ago. Then they'd plot something, and just try to find out how to solve this problem that they got tangled into.

Carlos sighed again, kicking off his sheets - which were really two fur coats he figured his mother didn't use - and sat up, running his hands through his hair. To an outsider this may seem like a very small issue, but to Carlos losing his influence meant losing his whole life. He was physically weak so he'd definitely be bullied around a lot more.

Carlos didn't realise he was chewing on his non-existent fingernails until he tasted the iron in his blood. He looked over his hands, which were shivering slightly from his panic attack, as a wave of cool wind blew over his body. He pulled the fur coat closer to his body, looking out of the attic style window. That's when he heard commotion outside, approaching footsteps, and loud voices, arguing. Carlos let out a low growl, and put the fur coat on, getting off the mattress. He pulled up his pants and sat at the windowsill, waiting for the two idiots to show up at the door.

The door flew open and Harry and Jace hurried in. Jace was out of breath, gasping for air, while Harry leant forward, holding his chest. "We got... News..." They said, in-between their cry for more oxygen. Carlos gracefully got off the windowsill, putting on his 'Superior-than-thou' attitude on. There were moments like these when Carlos felt like a full diva, where you could see parts of his mom in him. High waisted pants over a shirtless body, layered with an expensive and illegally made spotted fur coat, hair messed and eyes red, he really reminded one of a spitting image of Cruella De Vil's youth. All he was missing was a cigarette in his mouth.

"Spit it them, I have no time." Carlos said, nonchalantly, leaning up against the patchy wall.

"There's talk that Uma has been negotiating terms with the businesses in the north and north east." Jace said, looking down at Carlos. Carlos stood there, unimpressed on the outside, but on the inside he was stunned. Harry Hook had been telling the truth, and if the story Jace was putting forward was true, the four of the villain kids were in big trouble.

Carlos glared at Harry, "Are you just gonna stand there or tell me how she's doing these negotiations?"

"The streets say, she's offering them lower payment option, and when she gains control, she'll just spring for higher pay again." Harry replied, still huffing from the run. Carlos rolled his eyes, slamming his fist against the wall. That plan could definitely work, and Uma was a very smart girl, indeed. Added to it, the fact that Harry Hook was by her side was another plus point. Carlos groaned, sitting back down at the attic window. "God, I'm a mess, I have dark circles and puffy eyes, my hair's all over the place, I don't need this..." He said to himself, looking out of the window.

"No, Boss, you don't look bad at all." Jace pitched in, trying to make his employer feel better.

Carlos sent a hard stare his way, "So now you're lying to me?"

Jace opened his mouth to speak, but retracted behind Harry. Harry smiled sheepishly, "No, boss, you look absolutely horrible!" He said, hoping for a pat on the back.

Carlos clenched his jaw, "How dare you?" He said, trying his best to conceal his smile and come off as hurt. He got off the ledge yet again, and walked towards them. Each step Carlos took Closer, they went backwards until they hit the door to the coat closet, with bear traps in it.

"You both need to get out of my site, right now." Carlos ordered, and both the henchmen scurried away without another word. Carlos watched them avoid the bear traps until they slammed the door of the closet.

Carlos smiled, having had his fun with the two boys. They weren't so bad, but Carlos felt a weird obligation to treat them like that, whenever he put on a fur coat from his mother's collection. It was in his blood, and that scared Carlos. He turned around to be greeted by a face, he wasn't very fond of.

"I thought they'd never leave," Said Harry Hook, leaning backwards while sat on the place Carlos just got up from, a cigarette in hand. Harry leant forward, "Aren't you gonna say hi?"

"What are you doing in my house?" Carlos said rather calmly, a phenomena he later attributed to the side of his brain which became Cruella De Vil's son everytime he wore fur.

"That's a peculiar way to say hello," Hook got off the sill, walking towards Carlos. He stood his ground looking up at the taller boy, lips parted and eyes tired. The smell of smoke and sea salt hit his nose, in a rather unpleasant way.

"You _need_ to get out of my house, Hook." Carlos emphasized, marvelled at how he was able to keep up his confidence all thanks to a fur coat.

Harry smirked placing the cigarette in his mouth and looking Carlos over, "Or what are you gonna do?"

Something in him compelled him to push Hook back, and that's what Carlos did. He placed his hand flat on Hook's chest and pushed him away, while walking forward. "I said Get. Out."

Harry was taken aback, a little shocked. After a while though, he straightened himself out, and brought back his full, wicked smile. "Well if I'm not welcome for a chat, I'll just do my first mate duty then," he took a drag from his cigarette.

Carlos whispered to himself, "I still don't know what a first mate is."

Harry must have heard the boy so he replied, "It's sort of like, a right hand, an assistant, associate."

Carlos nodded forgetting what the feud was, "Oh.." He then suddenly snapped out of his trance, "Well finish your duty and leave."

"Alright," Harry said, stepping closer to Carlos, "I was sent here to check if your minions picked up the right information or not.." he trails off, looking straight into Carlos' eyes and believe it or not, Carlos stared back. "They did."

Carlos looked away from Hook's piercing eyes first, moving around in thought. He was a smart boy, he could put two and two together effectively. Hook was somehow intrigued by how well oiled the gears of Carlos' brain were even on an island that had only hand down notes from the Auradon High Students to study. Carlos looked back at Hook, "When will you be there?"

Harry smiled, impressed, "Wow, you got all that from me saying that your henchmen found the right information?" He took a step back, looking Carlos over, "I'm impressed pup."

Carlos groaned, folding his arms in front of his chest, "When?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Five p.m. North East."

"We'll be there," Carlos said, walking up closer to Hook, so that he would be cornered at the window, forcing him to step out, "Now leave."

All Harry did was let out a malicious chuckle and sit down on the windowsill, looking up at Carlos, dragging in the cigarette, "I never said I'd leave."

Carlos groaned, "What will it take for you to leave?" He asked, annoyed to have to deal with this first thing in the morning. Harry only smiled, looking Carlos up and down.

Carlos felt a little exposed under Hook's pertinent stare. He was not wearing a shirt after all. Carlos waited until Hook looked back up at him. "What?" He blurted out.

"I want the coat."

"Why would you want this coat?"

Harry licked his teeth, thinking for a moment, "It's Cruella De Vil's fur coat. That's reason enough."

Carlos considered his options, knowing well his mother had told him to throw this coat away six months ago, "Okay, fine."

Just as Carlos was slipping out of the coat, Harry burst up, "Wait!" Carlos stopped, letting his hands fold across his chest.

Hook stepped closer to Carlos, never looking away from his brown eyes. Carlos felt increasingly uncomfortable with the decreasing distance in their bodies. He didn't need to start having any kind of feelings for a hot boy from Uma's crew. Hook lifted the cigarette from his mouth, holding it out near Carlos'. Carlos unsurely opened his mouth, holding the cigarette between his lip, securing it with his two fingers. He takes a drag, feeling the nicotine run into his lungs. The smoke escapes his lips, and that's when Harry Hook breaks the eye contact. "Now you look exactly like your mother." He says. His hand finds its way to the fur coat, pressing lightly onto Carlos' chest, "Now give me the coat."

Carlos takes another disgruntled look at Harry and slips out of his coat. Harry seems to look away, taking in the small space that Carlos calls his 'room'. He takes in a deep breathe and reaches his hand out to grab the plush coat. "You live like this?"

Carlos, now devoid of the coat, seems to go back to his real self, "Not all of us can get a big room on a boat for ourselves." He said in almost a whisper. Carlos couldn't be sure but it was almost like Harry's façade fell for a second, after hearing him say that. "Leave Now."

Harry doesn't say much then, wordlessly holds the coat, slipping out of the window. Before getting on with his journey, he gives Carlos one look, smirking, "My Captain... And I... Will be expecting you."

 

~~~~

 

 

And why did he come to you?" HiMal wonders out loud, searching Carlos' reaction for any answer.

 

 

"I have no clue, but he's been bothering me since last night." Carlos says, his hands in his leather jacket pockets.

 

 

Jay tsked, "It's simple," he explained, "Carlos is the youngest, and he's also the easiest to intimidate. A weak link, it's a smart move."

 

 

Carlos stares at Jay in disbelief, as Jay shrugs nonchalantly. Carlos pushes him slightly, "Fuck you, man!" Jay laughs out loud, stabling himself as the quartet continue walking to Clint's Cheese Store.

 

 

Jay kicks open the door of the tiny shop, walking in like he owns the place. The other three enter right at his heel, Mal leading the pack. Clint's slender figure is slouched over the counter. One look at the quartet sends a tired look through his expression. "What do you want?" He asks.

 

 

"Our money." Mal makes it clear, picking up a small bite of cheese of the counter and popping it into her mouth.

 

 

Clint stands up straighter behind the counter, "I don't pay to you anymore." He says, looking at each of the four individually, "I pay to Uma and her crew."

 

 

Mal's malicious smile falls, as she gives a slight nod to Jay. Jay gets behind the counter, getting the collar of the lanky man in his hands, "Who said you could decide that?"

 

 

Clint struggles a little but then composes himself, pushing Jay away with all his might. Jay wasn't used to people ever standing up to him, and so he let him go, stepping back. "Why don't you go settle that score with Uma herself, stop bothering me and all of us in the lane?"

 

 

Jay is about to swing at Clint again, but Carlos intervenes. He pulls the boy back, leading him away from the old man. Mal gives a cold stare to Clint, and power walks to the door, stepping out.

 

 

"We should go to the next shop." Evie interjects, but before the rest of her friends can give their opinions about the idea, a very unwelcome person does.

 

 

"That would be a waste of time," Gil says, passing by the quartet, walking backwards, as he smiles at his fellow villain kids, "Yeah, we got all of them, the entire lane. Apparently, we took the offer down twenty coins than what you asked, and everyone jumped at it, crazy huh?"

 

 

Gil continues walking, motioning at the quartet to follow him. Evie glances at Carlos, thoughts unsure. Carlos begins walking behind the third son of Gaston, and his friends follow suit.

 

 

The scene they arrive at is not what they had expected. Uma always had a flare for the dramatic, hell all the villain kids did, but there seemed to be no audience here. Carlos pegged that as a good thing, scouting the scene and only finding Uma's crew. Uma stands at the centre, head held high, shoulders squared, eyes proud. Harry Hook is right behind her, signature smirk plastered on his face. He spots the newly arrived company, and waves a hooked hand at them.

 

 

"You showed up!" Uma says, giggling almost, "God this is AMAZING!" she smiles walking closer to the four villain kids.

 

 

"Look at your faces, lost something for the first time in your life?" She says, eyes meeting Mal's. Mal doesn't shy away, staring right at her. "That's how I've always felt. But not anymore Mal."

 

 

Mal folds her hands in front of her chest. Uma smiles, throwing a glance to the other kids behind Mal. "I'm sorry, you must be feeling left out?"

 

 

She lifts up her hand, signalling to her crew. Harry and Gil get off their position, Gonzo and Desiree following closely. Harry stops right in front of Jay, signature smirk printed on his face, "Jay, Jay, Jay." He hums, "How hard must it be to feel so weak."

 

 

"Don't tempt me, Hook," Jay said through his gritted teeth, "I could kill you if I wanted." He steps closer, eyes filling with rage.

 

 

"So could a Mal, so could a crocodile," Harry chuckles, while Carlos stands back watching. Mal is still having conversation with Uma, and Evie looked like she was about to throw hands with Desiree.

 

 

"So could Carlos." Harry finished, gesturing to the short boy standing behind Jay. "The base of the matter is that, you're not special Jay. You never have been. You're just an average, young boy who hides himself behind this fake aura of superiority." Harry shoves Jay harshly. Jay shoves back, and that's what breaks out the fight.

 

 

Carlos doesn't remember it clearly, because he was knocked out by Gonzo, but what he does remember is that when Jay shoved Harry, he landed a punch on Jay, sending him stumbling back. This lead to Mal slapping Uma, and her crew drawing their swords. Before they could reach the scene from their seats, Uma packed a punch to Mal, only to receive one from Evie, accompanied by the word, "Bitch". Evie was taken down by Desiree and while this went down, Jay and Harry were at each others throats. Carlos didn't know what to do, he usually avoided fights but he inserted himself in this one like an idiot.

 

 

Bonny was coming in from the side to take down Jay, but Carlos got down on the floor, using his legs to trip Bonny. Evie was now bleeding from her lip, as she pulled at Desiree's hair, shouting something about bad haircut choices. Uma had retreated from the fight and Mal was now trying to help Evie.

  
Carlos was in the midst of moving to help Evie but he saw Harry pulling a punch. Carlos calculated the damage in his head. All of them had taken punches but not him, and he didn't want to feel left out from the team. So the half white haired idiot, stood in front of Jay to block Harry's punch, waiting for it to hit him. His eyes were shut in anticipation, but it never came. Carlos opened his eyes, to see Hook's fist inches away from his face, as Harry looked in amazement. However before Carlos could register any of this, Gonzo's fist met his face and the world faded to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't that great of a chapter I just wasn't sure what to do with it so there you go.


	4. Why So Melancholy? // Maleficent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos meets a pirate, who isn't all that bad after everything. The group get to talking about their problems and Mal and Evie share a few stolen moments, while Harry and Carlos have their own chat.

_"Why so Melancholy?" –_ _** Maleficent ** _ _**, Sleeping Beauty, circa 1959.** _

_**~~~~** _

  
Carlos winced as the humid air hit his face. Even the slightest shifts in air pressure seemed to hurt his bruises. It was worse the day before, swollen and a cut still bleeding. That day, a dark bruise was on Carlos's cheek and a small cut above his eyebrow, which demanded attention as Carlos walked through the market. He decided to take the scenic route to the seaside, where they usually meet. He walked down the busy street, getting a few looks, thankfully, only adding to his already high standing.

Carlos walked by a cart of homemade alcohol picking two bottles in his hand. The owner of the cart began to speak up, but Carlos shot him a look, making him retract. The bruises on his face only added to a badass image. Carlos never drank, but he really needed it, with all the shit that was going on. He silently reached into his pocket pulling out whatever change he could find, two coins, and placed it on the cart, before walking his way.

That was when Carlos' eyes caught someone, and his free hand instinctively shot up, to trace his bruise. Carlos walked up to Gonzo, who was sat propped against a wall. Gonzo saw Carlos and his expression turned sour, "What do you want?" He asked, voice laced with contempt, as if Carlos was the one who had decked _him_ in the face.

"You've already done enough for me," Carlos tries to smirk, but only winces slightly. A chuckle leaves Gonzo's mouth, as he looks at Carlos' injuries.

"I never meant to hit you that bad you know." He said, still looking up at the boy. Carlos knew this was as close as any of the people on the island could get to an apology, so he smiled, or tried to. His injury only allowed so much face muscle movement.

"What are you doing out here, alone? Where are Desiree and Bonny, and your other pals?" Carlos asks walking over to Gonzo handing him a bottle of whatever he had picked up. Gonzo contemplates taking the bottle, but finally does, opening it and taking a chug.

"I got kicked out." He says, eyes lowered, turning the bottle over in his hands.

"Kicked out? Why?" Carlos asked looking down at the blonde haired boy.

Gonzo looked up at Carlos, as if to say something, but stopped. He laughed awkwardly, running a hand through his hair, "Nothing, I dropped some... Food sacks into the... sea on accident." He said quickly.

Carlos' eyebrow knit in confusion, but he didn't think much of it because he was distracted by the heavy bandage around Gonzo's right hand. "What happened to your hand?"

Gonzo let the mouth of the bottle leave his, and said, "Oh it was H-" he started, but caught himself and said, "It was me... I caught it in a door."

Before Carlos could ask anything else, Gonzo downed the bottle and stood up, letting the bottle slip through his hands and fall to the ground, "I'm not supposed to be talking to you. Just because I'm away from them doesn't mean, I'm not still loyal to Uma!" He snaps, turning to walk away.

He stops midway however, "Uh... Thanks for the drink though.."

"No problem."

"I hate you, Bye." Gonzo snaps again, and walks away, leaving Carlos to wonder what even was going on. Carlos can't help but smile at the very awkward encounter.

~~~~

"I'm pretty sure they aren't just sitting there like ducks!" Exclaimed Mal, pacing around violently. She was worried about how Uma's crew hadn't made another move, and it had been four days since their last fight.

"Maybe they're just recuperating?" Jay added, taking a swig of whatever it was Carlos had picked up, "I mean, I did pack a few good punches." He smirks, resting his head on his hands, and flexing his muscles proudly.

Evie chuckles, doing the same, "I did too you know, I'm really strong."

"Yeah her arm strength is off the charts." Mal says, casually, taking a rather thirsty glance at Evie.

The realisation of why she would've said that sets in on Jay and Carlos together. Their eyes catch and they both know they just died a little inside. Carlos is quick to change the subject, "Whatever it is they're doing, we've been checking all of our turfs and they all seem fine."

"We still haven't checked the East." Mal says. She's been worried about this for so long, and Carlos thinks she just needs to unwind. With her living at the Den, away from her mom, she's been increasingly irritable. Carlos did not enjoy that.

"I'll send out Harry and Jace to check the East over the night, tomorrow we could go there ourselves." Carlos suggested looking over to Mal with a questioning look.

Carlos could just see it in her eyes. There was a long monologue coming but honestly Carlos wasn't feeling it. He never was ready to hear all this from Mal. Thankfully Evie stopped the wave before it could even pick up. Mal opened her mouth, as if to speak but, was interrupted as Evie walked over to her, and placed a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Mal, you need to chill down a little."

Mal looked at Evie softly, "You know I can't do that. It's just so much."

After that Evie and Mal seemed to talk with their eyes. Carlos didn't try to decipher these stolen glances, because he knew that this was probably an ex lovers thing. Carlos didn't know what it was but he thought he had a faint idea, because everytime he passed Troy Tremaine in the street, there was always silent conversation, generally awkward.

Jay suddenly spoke up, " Listen, guys I'm gonna go, my dad needs me or he'll hand my ass back to me in an antique arabian platter." He steps of the ledge, which still makes Carlos shudder, and launches towards the group.

"Why don't you just, pick your dad up and like, drop him?" Carlos suggests, smirking.

Jay laughs fakely, "HaHa, yeah I can just do that to Jafar." He says sarcastically.

Carlos lets out a low growl, shooting Jay a look. Jay then turns around and leaves, saying his goodbyes to the group. Carlos naturally shouts after him extremely enthusiastically, as he always does.

The sun had set in the horizon, and Carlos was now left alone to third wheel Evie and Mal who seemed to be getting increasingly cozy. Carlos knew what was to come would be regretted heavily the next day, but he was in no position to stop this. They stood really close, in each others' personal space, Evie looking Mal's face over as Mal explained whatever her problem was quietly.

Carlos scoffed, gathering some attention. He hadn't had a serious relationship ever, because The Isle wasn't a place for love. People had other problems. Evie raised an eyebrow in question, "What's up Carlos?"

Carlos sheepishly got off his seat and looked between both of them, "Uhh, can I leave?"

Evie and Mal shared a laugh.

"You can."

"Oh, Thank God."

Carlos began walking away, waving goodbye to the two girls. Evie and Mal went into the Core Four's Sea Shack, which Carlos knew was a bad idea that he would hear all about later from Evie. But by walking home alone, he had acted on a bad idea, that he would, later, tell Evie all about.

~~~~

Carlos was quick on his feet. There were people still up and about, but everything was quieter, cloaked by the shadows of the night. Carlos' mind swirled with thoughts, and at the centre was Uma and her crew. She was adamant on destroying them, and Carlos had a real bad feeling she would accomplish that. He thought about how they could kick out Gonzo, someone who's been loyal to them for years, just because he dropped a few food sacks. Carlos knew that was a lie, but he wouldn't put that beyond Uma.

The streets got emptier as Carlos neared his home. Turning corners, he felt something. Someone was following him. A new set of footsteps had been walking with him for about two minutes now. They'd stop when he would, they'd start when he would. Carlos continued walking until he reached the alley where he'd first met his current stalker.

On reaching the alley, a strong wind blew past Carlos, and with it he could smell the sea salt and smoke on his stalker. Without turning, Carlos talked in a loud clear voice, "So, you've resorted to stalking now?"

The footsteps get closer, and so does the scent of Harry Hook. He stops right behind Carlos, "Stalking?" He asks, appearing in front of Carlos, "Why I was just trying to catch up to you."

Carlos maintains his composure. He wanted to punch Hook in his pretty cheekbones, whenever he had that shit-eating grin on. "I just wanted to say.. Hi. We haven't met in..." Hook pondered, placing his free hand on Carlos' shoulder. "Forever."

Carlos bit the inside of his cheek, shoving Hook's hands off him, "First off, don't touch me. Secondly, it's been only four days since one of your men, gave me this." Carlos says, pointing to his face.

As Harry looks over the smaller boy's face, Carlos looked over at his. Jay had indeed, packed a few good punches, and there were cuts over the pirate's face. But what holds his attention, is how, as Hook studies his face, he seems to lose his grin. Carlos thinks he sees a split second of concern, but he must've lost his mind to think that right? Why would Harry Hook be concerned about what happens to Carlos?

Hook reaches out to touch Carlos' face, his own still a little worried, trying his best to hide it. Carlos doesn't move, the nerves building up inside him. He wants to slap Hooks inching hand away, but it's like he physically can't. He just continues to stare ahead at Harry. Hook's fingers brush the purple brush lightly, that's when Carlos pulls away. "Yeah, I don't need you anywhere near my face, already met Gonzo today, that was weird." Carlos blurts out, the tension in his body releasing all at once.

Hook let his hand linger in the air for a moment, face still blank. Carlos took in a deep breathe, moved past Harry and continued walking. He hoped that Harry wouldn't chase after him. But unbeknowest to him, his warm heart hoped for something else.

Carlos was pulled back by the cold metal, hooking around his arm. Carlos faced Hook again, now looking confused, "You met Gonzo?"

Carlos stared at the hook around his arm, looking back at the other boy, devilishly, "Get that thing away from me."

Carlos was getting good at this intimidating game, but Harry wasn't going to drop out so soon, "Did you met Gonzo?" He said, pulling at the hook a little harder.

Carlos' breathe caught in his throat. He was very strong but he knew, not physically. He was very afraid of ever getting into a fight because of his smart mouth. But something told him, he needn't worry about that with Harry. "Leave. Me." Carlos commanded, feet firm on the ground, voice trying it's best to not waiver. 

Harry finally gave in, pulling his hook away from the smaller boy's arm, and putting it away in his belt buckle. "What did Gonzo tell you? He's a telltale, always goes around muttering our business."

Carlos stared at Hook for a second, before speaking up, "He told me you removed him, for dropping some food sacks?" Carlos said. Hook let out a breathe he seemed to have been holding. "His hand was broken. I know that's not the truth."

"That's what happened." Harry says quietly, looking down at the ground, trying to get his cruel body language back again.

"I know that's not what happened. Uma won't kick out a loyal crew member." Carlos said, looking down at the dirty ground, as well.

" _But I wouldn't put it beyond her._ " they both spurt out at the same time. Their eyes catch again. A spark, both of them unaware. Carlos purses his lip. "Just... Just tell me your message or whatever I don't have time for this."

That's when Hook's signature grin returns, "Why are you always in such a rush, pup?" He steps closer, looking down at the boy. Carlos leans back, for some reason a little less intimidated by Harry today. "Why do you never want to just talk to me? I'm very interesting when you get to know me." He says in a rather flirtatious manner, but Carlos doesn't pick that up.

Carlos smiled, having thought of a response, "You wanna just talk?" Carlos questions straightening up a bit, "What really happened to Gonzo and his hand?"

Harry Hook never lot his smirk, stepping away, "Nothing happened." He stated dryly, scanning Carlos' face for expression. Carlos however seems to look through him.

"You had something to do with it didn't you?" He asks, accusatory tone pumped into his voice. Harry Hook raises his hands up in the air, moving a little away from Carlos. He grins, as Carlos continues, "You wanna talk? Tell me why you keep bothering me so much? Because I'm the weakest link? Every one thinks that I don't belong with Mal, Jay and Evie, that I'm not evil enough." Carlos lashed out. His eyes moved to the ground as he let out a small chuckle, "Must be fun to fuck with the little guy, huh?"

Carlos was mildly irritated, chest squared, looking Hook straight into his green eyelined eyes. The smile on Hook's face fell. Harry Hook didn't know what to do now. Sure he was having his fun with the boy, but he really didn't want to cause any trouble. He didn't think this turf thing was serious at all.

Uma had told him how crucial it was to get through the weakest link, to get through Carlos. To get in his head, and twist it around. From there he was to move on to Jay, and with two of her crew members gone, Mal would be vanquished. Harry Hook, however, had laughed it off, said the occasional 'Yeah, Ofcourse.' and left on his journey.

But as he stood in that dark alleyway, with the humid air blowing through, the world apart, and a rather cute boy in front of him, he seemed to have a switch in his personality. Carlos looked furious awaiting a reply from Hook who was contemplating how he should go about with this. He didn't want to betray Uma, but Carlos was very nice, for someone who lived on the Isle.

So he made a choice, and this choice was like a switch on a control board, that started his rollercoaster of a year. "I did have something to do with Gonzo. I broke his hand."

Carlos' breath caught in his throat as he said, "Dude, you're a fucking psychopath. Why would you do that?" He asked, concerned. Carlos knew Gonzo wasn't a bad man, and he was loyal, so throwing him out didn't make sense to him, let alone breaking his hand. He'd only met Gonzo properly four days ago, and that had ended in him being knocked out. But his talk with the blonde boy this morning, told him, he wasn't bad, in terms of The Isle.

Harry smiled, not malicious this time, pure. "Morning Turf, that's your clue or whatever." Harry steps closer.

Carlos sighed heavily, arms crossed across his chest. "Okay, don't answer my question, but just know, Gonzo is a loyal guy and you'd be a fool to kick him out like that. He's resourceful and I'm pretty sure he won't back down from a fight. " Carlos reasons. As for 'Morning Turf' the smart boy instantly knows it's the East, the side they haven't checked out yet. He should've headed back home immediately, and called his friends out before anything could be done, but something told him to stay and talk to Hook a little more.

Hook chuckled, "Wow, you got all that from one punch and five minutes of conversation?"

Carlos couldn't help but give Hook a small smile, "I'm sharp like that."

"Duly Noted." He looked over at Carlos' face again, the bruise staring right at him, he stepped backward and as a parting sentence, said, "And as far as the question of 'why' is concerned, I did it because Gonzo fucked with the little guy."

Hook walked away into the night, knocking dustbins down as he left. Carlos followed the boy with his eyes. He sighed, all alone in the alleyway, pondering over Hook's last words. Carlos was feeling something, and he was subconsciously aware that a spark had just caught, but he had to try and extinguish it, before it became a fire.

~~~~

"Harry came to you again?" Evie asked, as they made their way to Mal's house. When Carlos got home, he gave Evie a call and explained his whole situation. Out of all of them, Carlos trusted Evie the most, and for some odd reason so did Cruella De Vil. She was sound asleep however, and didnt usually care about her son's late night whereabouts. At 3 a.m. Carlos walked over to Evie's house, which thankfully, was very close. From there, Him and Evie set out on their conquest.

"I don't know why he keeps coming to me." Carlos wonders out loud, as they passed dark streets. It would be dawn by the time they reach the East, but before that they had to go get Mal and Jay from the Den. "Oh, remember Gonzo's broken arm I told you about?"

"Yeah, that was tough, huh? Caught in a door, right?" Evie recounted from a few hours before.

"Yeah, turns out it was Harry who broke it." Carlos steps over an exposed, out of place pavement brick, looking over at Evie for her reaction.

"No way! What a psychopath!" Evie exclaimed, completely horrified.

"That's exactly how I reacted!" Carlos beamed. Everytime he talked to Evie about his day it was as if a load was being lifted off his shoulders. They were like each others personal diaries. Known to their darkest secrets. Many times Carlos felt bad not telling her that he liked men, but then again he never really did try to hide it alot. Atleast not from them.

"Why did he punch Gonzo, did that freak tell you that?" Evie asks.

Carlos looks out in the distance, he can see the metal structure just a few more steps away. Carlos instinctively starts spilling his guts to Evie, "Well, yeah, he said it's because–" and then he stopped. For he didn't quite understand why Hook had said that.

He understood Hook's callback to Carlos' words. He understood what Hook had said, and what it implied. What he didn't understand was why Hook would do that? Carlos needed to know more about this before he could tell it to anyone, even Evie.

"...Because?" Evie said expectantly. They were now stood at the foot of the long metal staircase. Carlos needed to change the subject, and he needed to do it fast.

"Nevermind why he did that, I'm more interested in what happened in the shack after I left." He raised an eyebrow at Evie. Evie's cheeks flustered as she rolled her eyes, hitting Carlos' shoulder.

"Nothing happened." She clarified. Carlos tilted his head slightly, emphasizing his already raised eyebrow a little more.

Evie groaned, "Alright, fine, we just made out for a bit and then she went back. I know it's all a bad idea but Carlos, she needs me! She is at her lowest, she needs that kind of attention."

Carlos smiled faintly. He knew how bad of an idea this was, and he liked to see that Evie still cared so much, but he also didn't want this thing to end any worse than it did the first time. He knew it would end. "Yeah, but this is also a time where if Maleficent finds out that you two are... Uh..."

Carlos lacks the proper phrase which is quickly provided by Evie, "Smashing booties?"

Carlos cringes, gagging audibly, "Could've phrased it, so much better than that but, Yes. If Maleficent finds out she won't hesitate to kill both of you, don't put it beyond her."

He places an arm around Evie, and she gives him a small smile. They walk up the Den stairs, and knock loudly on the door. A voice sounds loudly inside, "GO FUCK YOURSELF."

This is recognised as Jay by Evie, who proceeds to bang the door so hardly, she probably woke up half of the Isle. The door swings open violently, to reveal Jay in his home clothes, while Mal sleeps away in a corner bed.

"It's 4 a.m. Why'd you wake me up at an hour like this?" Jay complains. Carlos sighs and pushes past Jay's big frame.

"Rise and Shine, motherfuckers we got a war to fight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point I'm free riffing, I really wanna get to the good part but when I planned this, it was SO LONG. So now we must wait for the good shit to pour out.


	5. I've got no time to argue! // Cruella De Vil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions flare up as the turf war continues. The quartet engage in a good deal of talk and spend some time at Curl Up and Dye. Consequently, a scarlet clad pirate brings a token of remembrance from Uma.

_"I've got no time to argue!"_ _**-**_ _ **Cruella De**_ _ **Vi**_ _ **l**_ _ **, 101 Dalmatians, circa 1961.**_

 

~~~~

  
Mal kicked the basket of fruit. The small woman selling the fruit cursed Mal, but she only pushed the woman away. She was angry. Uma now had another paying turf.

The Eastern Turf was gone too, they tried every shop but everyone said they pay to the Pirates now. Sure, they could force them into paying them both, but they had tried that back at the North, and that ended very badly. Mal was trying to calm herself down, but she definitely couldn't.

"I can't believe this!" She exclaimed, "Mother won't help me, everything is crumbling, we've only got two paying turfs now!" Mal never cried, she only ever angrily knocked things around. They watched her grab the fruit basket from the lady and throw it away again. The lady sighed, and started collecting her fruit once again. That was life on the Isle, dealing with the tantrums of Villain Kids.

Carlos didn't like that. Something about it never felt right to him. He'd told Evie about this and Evie had agreed. However, Evie told him to suck it up and go along with it. That they just had to be rude, to be respected. While Mal was continuing her sad monologue, Carlos slipped away, picking up one of the plums, and handing it to the woman. The woman was surprised but put her hand out and took the fruit from him.

After he was done helping the woman, he came back to the matter at hand. Evie stepped towards Mal, trying to comfort her, "Mal, don't be discouraged it–"

"Don't touch me!" Mal exclaims, pushing Evie away, "I'm not your girlfriend anymore, I don't need you like that."

Evie backpedals, a shocked expression on her face, "But-"

"Just shut the fuck up!" Mal exclaims, turning away and kicking another plum that sat on the ground away.

Evie instinctively looks over at Carlos. Carlos hated this. He hated how moody Mal would get when things didn't go her way, and she would say the most hurtful things. Carlos could only soothingly rub Evie's arm. Evie turned away in disgust, and sat down on the curb. Carlos found his way next to her.

While Mal continued her temper tantrum, it was Jay, who had a tolerable idea. "Mal, what's done is done-"

"No it's not!" Mal lashes out, "Do any of you understand, that it's not about the money?! It's about our power and position! And are you forgetting that my mommy dearest isn't gonna bail out our asses anymore? so no. What's done is NOT done. We have to do Something." Mal sends an accusatory glance to the entire group.

Evie scoffs and looks away, unable to even look at Mal, Carlos follows suit. Jay, however, stands upright, "Yes, Mal. We do understand. But you don't get to order us around like that! I don't see _you_ coming up with any ideas?! It's always just US. So will you just take into consideration that we fucking exist, and give us some importance for once, in your fucking pathetic life, that you spend on this godforsaken squalid island!!"

Everyone looks up silently at Jay. When Jay lashes out like that, shit just got real. Even Jay hesitates, suddenly a lot less confident under everyone's gazes. "'Lady Tremaine's Curl Up And Dye' is right here. I'm going there. You can come if you want to, or you can wallow here in your own agony." He says and walks off.

Evie jumps off the ground, sending an icy stare to Mal, and jogging to catch up with Jay. Mal looks over at Carlos expectantly, "...Carlos?"

"Yeah, I'm going with them."

~~~~

  
"Hi guys!" Dizzy exclaimed. Meeting Dizzy was always a delight. She was Lady Tremaine's granddaughter, Drizella Tremaine's daughter. She was fun, cheerful, and the four loved spending time with her. She was always on top of the Isle fashion trends, not that there were any, people wore whatever they could find. She was also Troy Tremaine's sister, which got a little weird for Carlos, but in the end, she was delightful.

All three of them shouted back some variation of 'Hi Dizzy'. "Where's Mal?" Dizzy asked, frown on her face.

Before anyone could answer a voice sounded back, "She's here!" Mal panted as she entered the Salon.

"Mal!" Dizzy said, running over to her and enveloping the tired little girl in her arms. "Oh my gosh, Mal I have so many new ideas for all of you guys."

Mal smiled back at Dizzy. As mean and hard the four were out on the streets, it all seemed to melt away with Dizzy. Carlos was checking himself out in the shattered mirror, "Oh, yes! I'd love a new jacket maybe, with a little more red this time." He calls out and Dizzy jumps up in excitement.

"I have JUST the thing!" She exclaims and disappears into her backroom. Carlos turns back to the mirror. Evie glances at him quizzically.

"I didn't know you liked red?"

"I didn't know either." Carlos replies nonchalantly.

"That's alright, but I distinctly remember you saying, 'I only add red to my clothes because it's my mom's signature, otherwise I hate it.'" Evie adds, doing a bad Carlos De Vil impression.

Carlos looks at her, dumbfounded, for a second. He then starts, "First off, very close impersonation but make me sound smarter. Secondly, tastes change, don't give it much thought." He says. Evie raises her hands in defeat. Carlos, however, does give it much thought. He begins squirming in his chair, the need to move out of the room takes over him. A look over at the awkwardly distanced Jay and Mal, tells him that there's tension there. He pops off the squeaky salon chair and walks out to the backroom, needing no reason to explain himself.

In the backroom, Dizzy is fumbling through a pile of clothes in a hole in the ground. Carlos looks into the hole, utterly confused, "Dizzy? What are you doing in this pit?"

Dizzy looks up at Carlos, and smiles, "Oh it's my secret clothes pit. Lady Tremaine would never let me make clothes, so I hide them away."

Carlos winces slightly, "Your grandmother makes you call her 'Lady Tremaine'." He asks as he jumps into the secret pit to help Dizzy.

"Yes, she says Grandmother makes it sound like she's old." Dizzy answers, continuing to look for something in the pile.

"Well, the whole Cinderella fiasco happened 65 years ago, so yeah I'd say she's young enough to be using a walking stick instead of a wheelchair." Carlos remarks, looking through the pile with Dizzy. Dizzy let's out a joyous, childish laugh, still full of hope, somehow uncorrupted by the island.

When Dizzy looks over at Carlos he can see in her eyes, her fantasies about Auradon, her love for the magical lives they lead. It was all a farfetched pipe dream to him, but to Dizzy, she hoped for it to be real. "Don't tell that in front of her or she'll make you sweep around her with me too."

"Oof... My mother already makes me do alot of that." Carlos replies, not sure what he's searching in the big pile of clothes.

"Tell me about it. It's the worst! All day I sit here and deal with people like Harry Hook, and get nothing!" Dizzy complains, "ugh, where is this stupid jacket!"

Carlos' ears catch a word. Actually two words, and he presses on the matter. "Harry Hook came to you?"

Dizzy never wavers from the task at hand, her back to Carlos, "Oh yeah, for turf money."

"Did that son for a bitch scare you?" Carlos asked, getting a little protective of the little girl, and knowing Harry Hook's game nature.

"No, actually he was pretty normal. I'm friends with his sister so maybe that's why." Dizzy replied.

Harry Hook had a sister, yes. It was coming back to Carlos slowly. In fact, Harry Hook had two sisters, CJ Hook and Harriet Hook. CJ was younger than him, and Harriet was older. Carlos, however only remembered their names and not much else. "What do you mean, pretty normal?"

"Well, he treated me as he does whenever I go over to CJ's house. I just admire their relationship. I wish Troy was a better brother like him." Dizzy sighs, finally picking out the jacket she's been looking for, "FOUND IT!" She exclaimed, excitedly.

She handed over the jacket to Carlos, as he dropped the one he was already wearing. The jacket was signature white and black leather, but there were more red patches than before. It went well with his usually well balanced clothes and he loved the fit. "It's perfect, as always, Dizzy."

Dizzy squealed, giving him a hug. Carlos was a soft boy at heart. He couldn't help but wrap his arms around the little girl tightly. "I'm gonna go check on Evie!" She said, climbing out of her pit and making her way to the front.

Carlos spent another moment in that pit to himself. Harry Hook was 'normal' towards Dizzy. He didn't threaten her, not forced her, nor hurt her, and he had a great relationship with his younger sister. On the Isle if one was 'normal', it meant they were nice. Carlos didn't want the fact that Harry Hook may also be nice at heart to get stuck in his head, because he knew that that would lead to other things.

He was pulled out of his trance by loud, angry conversation. So, Carlos left the pit, and found his way to the front room. The scene in the front room was a little different than he'd want. Evie and Mal were stood next to each other, shielding Dizzy, while Jay stood in front of them, holding the collar of a familiar boy with a metal hook in one hand.

As Carlos entered the room, all heads turned to him. Harry Hook gave him his characteristic smirk, "Hey, pup."

With that four pairs of questioning eyes were set on Carlos. Carlos looked from Harry Hook's stupid face, to his four friends. "It's a long story." He said quickly, before turning to Hook again, "What are you doing here?"

Harry moves his gaze back to Jay, shaking him off his collar. "I was just here, on my captain's orders, to check on your posse. But I see you're doing quite well since you have the time for makeovers."

"Aren't they your father's ships? Why is Uma captain? Need someone to boss you around?" Evie asks, trying to deliver a devastating burn, but it doesn't land very well.

"Uma won that ship and the crew from my father, fair and square. That old man wasn't gonna give me that ship anyway." He says, his voice laced with a hint of sadness, which only Carlos seemed to notice. Hook went around Jay, coming face to face with Mal.

"How's little Mal doing? I saw your breakdown on the street, and I must say," He pouted, "Little girls like you really need their mommy to bail them out, don't they?" He continued, moving suavely through the store. "You have no power without Maleficent, and that's very evident in the weeks events."

Everyone in the room is silent, but Carlos can feel the rage building up in all of his friends, like the heat that you feel on the land, as you get closer to a volcano. Mal shoots towards Hook, but Evie holds her back. "Don't get so smug, you're just her puppet, and Uma isn't the kind to make friends."

Hook let's out a chuckle, "She wasn't friends with you because you called her Shrimpy, and humiliated her every chance you got. And you're talking about friends when all you see your 'friends' as are your minions."

Mal visibly, fumes as she frees herself from Evie's grasp and launches towards Hook. Hook retracts playfully, as Jay holds Mal back. "I care about them more than Uma will ever care about you. She hasn't thrown you off ship yet, just because the ship is your father's!"

Hook never lets his smug smile fall, as he brings his finger to his lips, shushing in a low voice. Carlos swallowed the lump in his throat approaching the scene cautiously. "Calm down Mal. You gotta keep a cool head if you want to stop us, because we aren't going to."

Carlos finally finds the courage to speak up, "Did you just come here to trash talk? Do you have nothing better to do with your time?"

Evie grins back, as Carlos joins his friends in front of Harry Hook. Harry opens his mouth to speak, but his lips pull back into a smile. He looks down at the ground and back up, meeting Carlos' eyes. Hook reached into the inner pocket of his coat and took out a glass jar. Carlos wondered how that fit in there. The jar was filled with murky water and as Carlos inspected it, there was something inside. A baby octopus. Harry handed the octopus to Carlos, who held it to prevent it from falling onto the ground. Harry then met eyes with Mal, smirking at her. "It's from Uma. Something to... Remember her by."

Carlos put his hand out on the lid, examining the creature, even though Mal looked like she would be ready to throw it back into the sea any moment. While he looked it the small beige creature, nestled up in the jar, suddenly Hook's hand was on his.

Hook touched Carlos' hand that was on the lid. Maybe he meant to touch the lid itself, and Carlos' hand was in the way, or it was the other way around. Still Hook spoke up. "Oh his name's Mal by the way." He said, eyes meeting Carlos'. Everyone behind Carlos let's out an angry sigh but all Carlos was focused on was Hook's hand on his.

In a split second, that lasts for minutes, Hook picks up his fingers off Carlos' very delicately, in a caressing manner. Hook looks over Carlos' jacket and grins, "Nice jacket, pup."

Carlos could see from the corner of his eye that Jay jumped to rescue him. Hook speaks out, "Are you consciously or subconsciously trying to match me with all that red?" He asks.

Carlos' mind makes the connection. Yes, Fuck, Damnit that is what Carlos was subconsciously doing, but he can't admit it. Not here not in front of everyone else. Carlos stands his ground, somehow easier for him to do now than before. "You should know that Red is a De Vil colour."

Harry Hook's grin only grows wider, as he bites his lower lip mischievously, "And you should know, pup," He places a hand on Carlos' shoulder, "That a De Vil does not wear that much red."

Harry then moves his hand from Carlos' shoulder, to pat Carlos' cheek, " But I think you know who does."

With that, Jay grabs Hook's arm and drags him out of Lady Tremaine's Curl Up and Dye. Carlos is left dumbfounded, as Mal groans out in the background. A thousand question fly his way, but Carlos is lost for a second. He places the Octopus jar over at the shelf and strips out of the jacket. He is pulled out when Mal shoves him roughly, "ANSWER ME!" She demands.

"What!" Carlos retorts, falling back into the salon chair, his fingers unable to contain his anxious thoughts. He grabs hold of a clip and begins clutching it.

"What was that? Why is he calling you 'Pup'?" She asked, fiercely eyes looking down at Carlos. Carlos looks around for Evie, some who'll stop him from spiraling.

Evie gives Carlos a reassuring look. He speaks out, "It's nothing! The first day he caught me on my way back, he called me a puppy, because I'm 'innocent' and because my mom is a puppy killer."

Mal's look softens a little, as she trying to avoid Carlos' gaze, "I- that's actually kind of mean. What about the Red jacket thing?"

Carlos chuckles, "what do you think? I tried something new and failed. Can't even take this beautiful jacket back because it reminds me of Hook now." Carlos looked over at the jacket, a shudder running down his spine.

Mal shakes her head. She gives an apologetic look to Evie, "I'm sorry guys I'm just, not in the right mind. All that things the asshole said about you being my minions, you have to know it's not true and I don't think like that." Mal justifies herself. Carlos gets up from the Salon Chair, arms open for Mal.

"I know." He said. Mal hesitated, trying to keep her tough girl image intact, but then she gave in, wrapping her arms around Carlos. Evie squeals and joins in. Even though there were never true friends on the Isle, the four knew they could trust each other.

"Dizzy." Evie said, holding her arm out, "Come here!" Dizzy smiled wide and embrace them all as best she could.

"Oh we're hugging? Why wasn't I invited?" Jay says, before enveloping everyone in his rather large arms. In that moment everything felt like it would be okay. The quartet were fine. Dizzy was fine. And everything was fine.

"So we like, have an Octopus now?"

~~~~

Carlos entered 'Lady Tremaine's Curl Up and Dye' once more that day. He walked through the plastic curtain and waved to Dizzy, who smiled at seeing him. She was playing with Mal the Octopus. The octopus held onto her hand with one of its eight tentacles, as she looked up at Carlos.

"Seems like you guys are well acquainted?" He asked, falling into the chair, in front of Dizzy.

"Yeah, he's really cute." Dizzy chortled. The octopus playfully wrapped five of his tentacles around each of Dizzy's fingers.

The four had decided to throw the Octopus back into the sea, as Mal would surely put a knife through it if it was in front of her. But when Carlos thought about how Dizzy sits alone in the Salon, till it opens at midnight, and how she mostly does not have much company. Now that she was smiling with the Octopus, Carlos thought the Isle is crazy, so maybe an Octopus as a pet wasn't a very bad idea?

"Hey dizzy, you know what?" Carlos started, "You should keep him."

"What!" Dizzy exclaimed, excitedly petting the octopus's head, "Are you sure? I can keep him?"

Carlos let out a small laugh, "Yeah, definitely! Just change his name, or Mal will be furious."

Dizzy wrapped the octopus around her hand as it tried to climb onto her shoulder, "Yes I will, thank you so much!"

Carlos smiled. However he hadn't just volunteered to come here because he wanted to give the octopus to Dizzy. He also had something else in mind, and Dizzy seemed to steal his thoughts from him, "Sucks you won't take that jacket, it is pretty cool."

Carlos stops for a second, re-analysing his decision. He saw the jacket on the counter, right where he had left it. He reached out and ran his fingers on the rough leather of the red patches. "Actually, Dizzy, I'll take it. Harry Hook isn't gonna stop me from wearing whatever I want."

But subconsciously, he was the reason Carlos wanted to wear this colour, but Carlos was definitely suppressing that. His hand reached his cheek, right where Hook had touched him. Momentarily, another thought occured to him. Maybe he could suppress it better, if he reconnected with some old friends.

"Also, Dizzy," he started as he held the jacket in hands, and got up to leave, "Tell Troy I said 'Hi'"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for such a late update!!!!. I just am giving high school finals and I am very attached to this story. I thought I would write another chapter before my finals start in full capacity. Anyways I hope you like the chapter and I hope o can finish this before Descendants 3 comes out.

**Author's Note:**

> So that's the first chapter!! Also Everyone in Descendants is gay sorry I don't make the rules. Welcome to Turf Wars, hope it's a nice ride.


End file.
